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BCBUSINESS.CA MAY 2017 BCBUSINESS 49 and Space Administration bubbled to the surface. In the 1960s, NASA engi- neers faced a challenge: how to keep astronauts alive on the frigid dark side of the moon. Their solution? A system combining solar and heat pump tech- nology. "That's when a light came on," Gray says of his decision to adapt the U.S. space agency's invention to the North American residential market. His company became SunPump, whose unit, which can heat homes and water, resembles a geothermal system at a fraction of the cost of drilling wells. Instead of tapping the Earth's energy, the system uses a refrigerant to store and release heat from the sun, elimi- nating the reliability woes that have plagued conventional solar. The owner of a detached single-family home can cut heating costs by a third compared to conventional baseboard heaters, reduc- ing carbon emissions to boot. SunPump employs 10, plans to boost staff, and has sold units as far north as Inuvik and as far south as Texas, but the company is seeking venture capital or angel invest- ment. "We're in the valley of death," Gray says with a chuckle. Hot Property Terrella Energy Systems is taking its graphic manufacturing process, which arose from work founder John Kenna did at Ballard, into the booming heat-management business J ohn Kenna began his career designing and making cool high- tech stuff, only to shift to the less sexy but equally vital world of manufacturing. In 1992, the American mechanical engineer joined Ballard Power Systems, which was put- ting Vancouver on the map as the global centre for hydrogen fuel cell technology. The pace of innovation was furious, he recalls. Kenna eventually headed a team looking into the use of corrosion- resistant graphite for bipolar plates; the business end of fuel cells, these components collect heat and manage water, among other functions. But mak- ing graphite-coated plates was slow and expensive. Tackling this problem CONNECT. LEARN. TRANSFORM. Join us at Canada's largest green building conference as we explore the evolution of green commercial real estate and its role in achieving a low carbon future. For more information: www.cagbc.org/blc2017 Presenting Sponsor: Our National Conference & Showcase Partner: BUILDING LASTING CHANGE 2017